“Thompson Suskind did a fabulous job. When we put our house on the market, all the real estate agents and potential buyers – even the contractors and architects who came through our home – were completely impressed with the quality of work.”

“Before we began our project, we heard horrible stories about how contractors are never around, how they build outside of the drawings, etc. But we didn’t have any of that. Everything was better than we had imagined. Derek is such a personable guy, it makes it very easy to work with him. He was always around, and he was always available.”

“I’ve already recommended Thompson Suskind to three or four other parties. We expected it to be more difficult than it was. It wasn’t difficult at all.”

About the Firm

The sons of a Boston general contractor and an Ohio real estate/tax attorney, respectively, company co-founders Derek Thompson and Brad Suskind have building in their blood.

With nearly 25 years of cumulative experience in the field of construction, Thompson Suskind co-founders serve their clients in distinct capacities. With a career that covers everything from drywall apprentice, carpenter, foreman, operations manager and general manager, Derek is the primary liaison between architect, owner and designer. Brad’s years of remodeling, construction and carpentry experience along with his “whatever it takes” commitment to client success is evident in his role as on-site foreman/lead.

The professionals of Thompson Suskind have managed the completion of over 50 custom residential projects in the Bay Area. Prior to founding Thompson-Suskind, Derek was general manager at an established San Francisco-based design/build construction firm, where he directed a staff of more than 30 full-time employees. When asked about the role of technology in the construction industry, Derek commented, “Brad and I both have extensive technical backgrounds successfully leveraging technology for clients. We know that if you’re going to compete in this business, you have to do more than keep up with technology – you have to innovate.”

At Thompson Suskind, innovation starts with the needs of its clients. The firm serves a unique audience of business executives and their families. Derek emphasizes, “Our clients demand the finest quality finishes within their homes yet, with previous contractors, they suffered through the poorest quality communications.” This is the reason the firm invests so heavily in information technology that puts its clients in control. “We are as dedicated to delivering the highest quality information to our customers as we are to delivering the finest quality craftsmanship.”

For Derek and Brad, fine home building is about more than just cement, metal and wood; it’s an experience that takes them back to their childhood, where they learned that building is really about people – and treating them with professionalism and respect.

Meet the Team

Derek ThompsonPrincipal

Derek Thompson, Principal

As a small child, Derek’s father would take him on weekend rides to various job sites where he would instill into his son the fundamental truth of his profession, “No matter what you do in life, do it with professionalism and respect.” Derek proclaims that, “Now that I’m a general contractor, my father’s advice serves me well— it’s as much about who we are as people as how we conduct our business.”

Brad Suskind, Principal

Brad began his construction career after the collapse of the dot-com bubble. Trading stocks was quickly losing its appeal and a friend asked for help with a weekend remodel. That is when the light bulb came on. Over the following years, Brad worked with anyone that would teach him the trade. Starting as a laborer and working up the ranks, he educated himself in all aspects of residential construction to prepare to help launch Thompson Suskind. Brad offers, “I enjoy the hands-on aspect of construction as well as creating unique solutions to address the special needs of our clients.”

Peter Kellner, Project Executive

Peter comes to Thompson Suskind with nearly 30 years in the construction industry. Peter started his career in construction as a house painter while in college on the east coast, and after graduation moved west to start his own subcontracting business in Colorado. After growing that business to a staff of 15 after ten years, he sold the business and continued his trek west to the Bay Area.

Most recently Peter was General Manager of Impact Builders. At Impact Peter was responsible for the day to day management of the company as well as project managing the largest project, which was an ~9,000 sq ft home which was listed for sale at $45m. The home featured a cantilvered swimming pool, glass elevator and underground parking structure among other exotic features. Prior to that, Peter was Senior Project Manager at Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders, specializing in high end residences in the modern vernacular. He spent 13 years with that team, ultimately managing a staff of 6 in the PM department while personally managing several premier projects for tech clients in the $10-14 million budget range. Prior to that he spent four years with Swinerton Management and Consulting as project manager on a $260 million bond issue, building out institutional space for the San Mateo Community college district.

Peter is a construction technology ‘geek’ and loves to take deep dives into how to integrate and execute complicated designs. He also brings that passion to the management systems for Thompson Suskind, bringing with him a decade and a half of experience implementing integrated project management systems to streamline and simplify the management process.

Guillermo CarranzaSite Superintendent

Guillermo Carranza, Site Superintendent

Guillermo first worked with Thompson Suskind as the foreman of a concrete subcontractor. We were extremely impressed with the quality of his work and ability to lead his crew. When the market slowed in 2007 and the subcontractor was not able to sustain its business, Guillermo came to us and we were more than happy to make room for him and his crew. He has continued to grow in his capacity and now handles the excavation and concrete portions of multiple projects that require full foundation replacement. Guillermo’s ability to work with architects, clients and engineers to meet structural requirements while maintaining aesthetics and controlling costs makes him an invaluable member of our team.

Jorge Garay, Site Superintendent

Although he did not start his career with Thompson Suskind until 2007, Derek and Brad have a long history with Jorge as co-workers at their former employer. Jorge is an extremely valuable addition to our team as his work ethic, temperament and organizational skills fit well into the culture we have worked to develop. He has grown into the position as Site Superintendent and is able to manage subcontractors and communicate with clients exactly as if Derek or Brad were there personally. He is a major component to our growth as a company.

Ryan Hanson, Project Supervisor

Ryan was born and raised in a small farm town in Iowa. Growing up on the farm enabled Ryan to gain a strong Midwestern work ethic. Ryan’s grandfathers were both carpenters and many hours were spent learning in their woodshop. From this experience Ryan knew that carpentry was something he enjoyed doing. While in college Ryan starting working for a construction company and quickly became the lead finish carpenter. In 2005 after college, Ryan moved to San Francisco and began working as a head finish carpenter for a construction company that specialized in custom residential building. After a year with the company Ryan took the role as a project manager. In 2011 Ryan joined the Thompson Suskind team as a site supervisor. Since joining the team, Ryan has successfully completed Thompson Suskind’s 4th LEED Platinum project and is underway on our 5th.